0000000000401146
AUTHOR
Sabine Michel
Pro-enkephalin opioid peptides are abundant in porcine and bovine splenic nerves, but absent from nerves of rat, mouse, hamster, and guinea-pig spleen
The opioidergic innervation of the mammalian spleen and possible species differences were investigated. Light-microscopic immunohistochemistry revealed that splenic nerves of bovine and porcine spleen, but not of rat, mouse, hamster and guinea-pig spleen contained proenkephalin-derived opioidergic innervation. Immunoreactivity to both prodynorphin and pro-opiomelanocortin was absent from splenic nerves. In bovine and porcine spleen, fibers immunoreactive for met-enkephalin, met-enkephalin-Arg-Phe, met-enkephalin-Arg-Gly-Leu, leu-enkephalin and peptide F formed perivascular plexus, traveled in trabecular connective tissue, and extended into the capsule. Spatial relationships with immune cell…
Molecular anatomy of the neuro-immune connection.
Light microscopic immunohistochemistry was employed to elucidate and compare the presence, distribution, and coexistence of various peptides, neuroendocrine markers and enzymes of the catecholamine pathway in nerves supplying lymphoid tissues in a variety of mammalian species. All lymphoid organs and tissues receive innervation by fibers containing dopamine-beta-hydroxylase and/or tyrosine hydroxylase, neural markers like protein gene product 9.5, synaptophysin and neurofilament and a varied spectrum of peptides. The prominent peptides were tachykinins (substance P, neurokinin A), calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), neuropeptide Y (NPY), and vasoactive intestinal polypeptide/peptide his…